


What You Said

by wolffairy506



Category: The Walking Dead
Genre: M/M, aaron screws up, hopelessness, offensive word, self dislike
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-26
Updated: 2015-11-26
Packaged: 2018-05-03 11:16:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5288645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolffairy506/pseuds/wolffairy506
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aaron has been listening to the member of Alexandria too much, and their opinions are starting to rub off on him...</p>
            </blockquote>





	What You Said

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own AMC's "The Walking Dead"

 

     "STOP!" A voice cut through the cool night air. The quickly retreating ginger slowed to a stop and reluctantly turned his head to face the yeller. "Eric, I know you're upset, but would you just listen to me?" The yeller was a tall brunet with misty blue eyes and full, pouty lips.

     "What. What do you want to say to me, Aaron." Eric's voice was filled with spite and hurt. Even in the dim light it was clear that he was upset. His eyes were circled with red, the pupils bleary with tears. His lips were worked with little peeling marks--Eric had bitten his own lip many times due to stress.

    "Hey, listen." Aaron advanced on Eric, getter closer and closer slowly, as if he were approaching a baby deer. After a few seconds, he was close enough to make a grab for Eric's bony wrists. The ginger struggled for the smallest time before deciding that it would end up being in vain. Aaron was much stronger.

     "I-I didn't mean that-- what I said was stupid and immature, and not true. I'm sorry- I'm so, so sorry I said that to you. You did nothing to bring it on. It's all me, and my stupidness, and my ignorance of your feelings. And I'm sorry. I didn't mean a word, Eric. Not one."

     Eric looked at him with a sad, defeated gaze. "No... No, it's what you think. It makes sense," he mumbled sadly, red, swollen eyes falling to the paved street.

     "What? No-- no! I didn't mean a wor-"      

     "You said awful things! You said things that I've never heard you say before! Things I never even imagined in my craziest nightmares that you'd say!"

     "Eric, please-"

     "YOU SAID, _you, said._.. That I need to be quieter in public because people won't like me. Because of who I am. You t...told me, no one likes you only because you're in love with me instead of a women from down the street. That's its your _'little faggoty ginger gay'_ that keeps your from leading this town."

     "Eric-"

     "You _SAID THOSE EXACT WORDS-- TO MY FACE. YOU SAID THEM LOUDLY, AND IN MY FACE. YOU YELLED IT AT ME!_ " Eric paused, the anger and color draining from his face. "And-and they hurt the most... Because I know they're true. All of them." Eric's face crumpled. He was barely able to manage a whisper. " _Every last word,_ "  

     Aaron panicked. He didn't know what to do. His mind was spinning frantically, desperately trying to figure out what say next. He could handle an angry Eric, or even a sad one, but this Eric spoke quietly with no anger in his emotionless voice, and no expression in his dark eyes.

     " _Please_ , Eric, you have to listen to me," Aaron sputtered, his voice cracking. "I didn't mean a word-- _I love you_ , I love more than words could ever express. I love the way your fingers feel when you're holding my hand, I love the way your eyelashes catch the light, I love your endless optimism and your sense of humor that can make me laugh just when I'm about to cry."

     Aaron paused, searching Eric's face to see if he was making leeway. The harsh line of Eric's eyebrows had softened, and his amber-brown eyes gazed up at the other man through thick ginger eyelashes. Tears welled up in them.

     Aaron continued. "I care about you more than I care about myself... You are the reason I fight this awful world and the dead and the awful people; so I can come home to you and your sweet eyes and endless dreams, and so your pure heart keeps beating day after day. Eric, I want you to listen to what I am saying: _I. Love. You._ "

     Eric's whole body crumpled. It lost it's rigged, unfriendly stance as he fell forward into Aaron's brawny arms. His shoulders sagged as he sobbed into Aaron's chest.  

     The brunet slung on arm around Eric's slack shoulder blades. His other hand cupped Eric's coppery head, fingers idly playing with locks of his lover's hair.

     "I'm _sorry_ , lovely, I'm sorry I did this to you," Aaron whispered painfully to the crying ginger. He pulled his head away from where it was burrowed in Aaron's chest to where he could look the brunet in the eyes.

     "Not your fault," he whispered back, voice trembling.

     Aaron rested his hands on Eric's cheeks, and pulled him in for a kiss. The pair abandoned themselves to the kiss, the sweet sensation blurring out all other issues and thoughts. Their chests heaved and faces flushed, eyes closed tightly.

     Eric finally pulled away, and rested his head atop Aaron's shoulder.

     The two didn't care that they stood in the middle of a house-crowded street, where people could probably see them. They were too content to be in each other's loving presence to care what anyone else thought.


End file.
